Portable container



May 8,'1928.

E. w. BONFIELD PORTABLE CONTAINER Filed A112. 24, 1925 v 2 Sheetsheet 1 Ilill!!ililllllifllllllllIllllllll Imm o T) Ennnonswmm gli f May 8, 1928. 1,668,800

E. W. BONFIELD P-ORTABLE CNTAINER `Filed Aug. 24, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Inoenv Emmons wonfud Patented May 8, 1928.

i UNITED STATES EMMONS' W. BONFIELD, 0F GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN, .LBSIGNB T0 mmm PATENT OFFICE.

nox scam) oonrANY, .or GRAND Ruins, MICHIGAN, n conrcaArIoN or muon.

' :sor/rum CONTAINER.

IGAN.

Application tiled August 84, 1925. Serial No. 51,809.-

This invention relates toa portable receptacle or box made freni a single piece of paper board or like -inaterial in a novel and distinctive manner which can be formed into an enclosed container for various articles, particularly fruit or vegetables; which can be packed for shipment with no loss ot space whatever in a car or other transporting vehicles; which can be opened when it reaches its destination for the ready display of the i'ru'it or vegetables contained therein, and which after opening and after display provides in itselfI an extremely convenient means for carrying the saine in the saine manner that any receptacle with handles or the like may be carried.

` This construction of receptacle also inay be used in other ways which will appear fully in detail as understanding of the construction by means of which these ends are attained is had from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which,

Fig. l is a plan of the receptacle or boxl blank from which the saine is made.

Fig. 2 is a transverse section through the enclosed and sealed receptacle.

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section therethrough.

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 2 of a receptacle made in identically the saine manner but of smaller capacity and illustrating the manner in which the same may be divided into two compartments.

Fig. 5 is a perspective View ofthe receptacle inverted and in the position which it occupies when the fruit or vegetables are packed therein. v

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the receptacle arranged for ready carrying, and

Fig. 7 is a perspective of the saine collapsed for saving of space in transportation.

Like reference characters refer to like parts in the different figures of the drawin s.

The box or receptacle is designed to made from a sin le piece of ilat stock such as paper, paper oard or the like which is eut and blanked as shown in Fig. 1. In

provided which are bounded at their upper and'lower edges by the lines land 4 made in the blank by suitably scoring the same on such lines for ready and convenient folding.

this blank two rectangular sides 1 and 2 are- ,At the lower edge of each of the sides 1 and 2 iiaps 5 extend and at the upper edge of each of said side longer iiaps 6 are provided which are longitudinally scored on the lines 7, making terminal sections 8, through each or which an opening 9 is cut, the same preferably being shaped substantially as the segment of a circle.

lietween the adjacent ends of the sides 1 and 2 an end 10 for the receptacle is-located, the sheet of material being scored on the lines l1 for suitable folding of the sides with respect to said end. At the opposite end of side l a similar end l0 is located and the blank is similarly scored on the line l1 for the.. saine purpose. Flaps 12 extend downwardly I'roin each of the ends 10 and 1U and may be turned inward, the blank being scored on the lines 13. The flaps 12 are separated from the flaps 5 by slots 14 cut in the blank as shown.

At the upper edge of each oi' the ends l0 and 10Ll other and longer flaps 15 are located which are designed to be turned inwardly on the scored lines 16. The flaps 15 are separated from the naps 6 by the cuts 17 as shown. lt will be noted that the ends 10 and 10 are in the form of trapezoids with their longer sides at the upper ends of said parts 10 and 10 and that each of the iiaps 15 has a length substantially equal to onehaltl of the length of the ends l and 2.

The blank thus made may be folded on the lines 11 and 1l so that the free vertical edges of the side 2 and the end 10i come together. When in this position they are secured together by a strip 18 which is glued orpastedto the contiguous end portions of said parts 2 and 1()LL as shown in Figs. 5, 6

and 7. Each of the ends l0 and its connected flaps 12 and 15 are scored vertically in the blank on the lines 19 so that when the receptacle is completed by fastening the adjacent edges of the side 2 and the end 10 together as described, the whole box may be collapsed as shown in Fig. 7 by folding on the lines 19. This is necessary on account fli'the trapezoidal shape of the ends 10 and In usin the receptacle for carrying fruit or vegeta les it is formed into shape by turnin the connected flaps 6 and 8 toward each ot er so that one. overlaps the other and then by turning the aps 15 inwardly tosealed or otherwise suitably secured together',v

preferably by sealing strips over the adjacent inner edges of the flaps l5 which, as each is one-half of the length of the sides l and 2 come closely together When thus folded toward each other. The receptacle is then `inverted so as to' occcupy the position shown in Fig. 5 andl the fruit or vegetables may be placed therein. It will be noted that the receptacle not being of rectangular form in cross section, when the saine is lilled as shown in Fig. 5, the width of the receptacle decreases upwardly. After the rece tacle is filled the box is sealed by turning tiie ila s 5 and 12 inwardly toward each other and suitably securing and scaling the saine.

i Then when the receptacle is inverted, by

reason of the inward slant of the sides of the receptacle said sides serve to hel support the layers of fruit or vegetables w ich have been placed therein. The lower layers within the receptacle are not subjected to all of the weight of the upper layers, in fact the reater portion of such weight-is removed.

his is a very valuable feature, articularly in the shi ment of fruit as t e crushing e'ect of t e weight of the upper mass of fruit is in this way eliminated.

In shipping the sealed boxes or receptacles the same are placed side by side and alternately inverted so that no loss of space occurs. When the receptacles have reached their destination the flaps l5 are unsealed and disconnected, thereby permitting said flaps and also the under iiaps 6 and 8 to be turned back to dis lay the fruit or vegetables which, as the `rst layers packed are at the dis lay end of the receptacle, serve to show t e same to best advantage. When the fruit or other articles carried in the receptacle are sold, the flaps 15 are turned inwardly underneath the flaps 6 and 8. As b said flaps 15 are each in length equal to onehalf the length of the sides 1 and 2 it is evident that the entire contents within the receptacle Iis completely covered by the flaps 15, excluding all dust or undesired material. The outside flaps 6 and 8 ma then be brought together, as shown in liig. 6, the two o enings 9 coming into conjunction throug which the hand may be inserted for conveniently carrying the same.

This construction is articularly practical and useful and especially7 so in the shipping, handling, display and merchandising of fruit or vegetables. The great utility and value of the invention is self evident.

In Fi 4 there is shown still another manner in w ich this invention may be used. In

' this casethe sides 1 and 2'are of less depth and instead of having the flaps 6 and 8 overlap each other, as shown in Fig. '2, thel l flaps 6 lie in the same plane and the flaps 8 are turned upwardly lying against and arallel to each other, thus forming a divi ing partition at each side of which any desired article may be placed.

The invention has proved particularly valuable in actual practice. The claims dieine the saine and a l structures coming within the scope of said claims are to be considei'ed as comprehended by said invention.

I claim:

1. A box of paper .material comprising connected sides and ends, flaps turned inwardly from the lower edges of said sides and ends to make a bottom for the box, two flaps turned inwardly from the upper edges oi' each end and extending toward each other to completely cover the upper end of the box and two additional flaps foldably connected to the upper edges of the res ective sides of the box, each of said ad itional flaps being wide enou h to substantiall cover the upper end o the box and eacii iiap being scored longitudinally and adapted to be bent either inwardly Iinto the box to form a partition therein or outwardly from the box to forni a hand grip.

2. A box of paper material comprising, connected sides and ends, flaps turned inwardly from the lower edges of said sides and ends to make a bottom for the box, a flap turned inwardl from the upper edge of each side, each o said flaps being scored parallel to the side on a line midway between the two sides, the outer portions of the fla s be ond said score being adapted to be olde either inwardly or outwardly and the said outer portions of the flaps being of a length equal to the height of the box whereby when said flaps are folded inwardly they 4will form a partition in said 3, A box of paper material comprising connected sides and ends .flaps turned inwardly from the lower edges of said sides and ends to make a bottom for the box, a flap turned inwardly from the upper edge of each side, each of said flaps being scored parallel to the side on a line midway between the two sides, the outer portions of the `flaps beyond said score being adapted to be folded either inwardly or outwardl and the said outer portions of the flaps ing of a length equal to the height of the box whereby when said flaps are folded inwardl they will form a partition in said box, sai outer portions of the flaps being provided with and hold openings.

In testimon whereof I aix m si ature.

MMONS W. BOl'FILD. 

